Objective: To complement standardized measurement of symptoms, we developed and tested an efficient strategy for identifying (before treatment) and repeatedly assessing (during treatment) the problems identified as most important by caregivers and youths in psychotherapy. Method: A total of 178 outpatient-referred youths, 7-13 years of age, and…

The purpose of the research was to assess the diagnostic efficiency of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) as clinical screening tools for active duty soldiers recently returned from a combat deployment. A secondary goal was to examine the item-level characteristics…

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) are frequent and disabling consequences of surviving severe injury. The majority of those who develop these problems are not identified or treated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a screening instrument that identifies, during hospitalization, adults at high…

Surveyed 101 inpatient psychiatric patients and 99 chemical dependency patients to compare the validities of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Minnesota Multiphasic personality Inventory (MMPI) Depression scale, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The Zung produced better validity coefficients than the Beck, which yielded higher…

Rated 50 nonclinical couples conjointly and separately on various aspects of their marriage. Both the overall distribution and relative magnitude of correlations supported the basic interpretive intent of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory. Results are contrasted with previous studies of distressed couples. (JAC)

Considers both validity and reliability simultaneously in selecting the best short forms (SFs) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Results indicate that incorporating reliability as a criterion has a dramatic impact on the obtained best SFs. (LLL)

Results of an assessment of the diagnostic validity of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision (LNNB-C) with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) for the following relevant diagnostic groups: neurological, psychiatric, and normal controls are reported. (Author/BL)

Developed the Bulimia Test (BULIT) based on responses of clinically identified females (N=18) and normal female college students (N=119) to preliminary test items. Results showed that the BULIT provided an objective, reliable, and valid measure by which to identify individuals with symptoms of bulimia. (Instrument is appended.) (LLL)

Developed empirically based criteria for use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to aid in the assessment and diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in patients (N=200). Analysis based on an empircally derived decision rule correctly classified 74 percent of the patients in each group. (LLL)

Examined the relation between diagnosis of depression made by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) derived from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in an unselected adult population (N=298). Results indicated similar rates of depression with DSM-III and BDI criteria. (LLL)

Developed and tested a short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) in 107 subjects. Results showed that when statistical corrections are made for item overlap between the two forms, the resulting correlation drops to .90 and that similar results were obtained in a cross-validation study. (LLL)

Reports findings on the concurrent validity of the broad-band Internalizing and Externalizing profile types of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Results indicated that Internalizers were favored on a number of measures of adaptation when compared with Externalizers. (Author/MCF)

Factor analysis of the Bell Reality Testing Inventory items produced three subscales interpreted as dimensions of the reality testing ego function: Reality Distortion, Uncertainty of Perception, Hallucinations and Delusions. Replication factor analysis confirmed the factor structure. Subscales appear sensitive to variations in psychopathology and…

Demonstrated the reliability of the Body Sensations Questionnaire and the Agorophobic Cognitions Questionnaire on two clinical samples (N=175). The instruments fared well on tests of discriminant and construct validity. Concluded that these self-report inventories are useful, inexpensive, and easily scored measures for clinical and research…